After Fatshan actual war operations were more or less over; but we had a deal of pirate hunting. All the trading-junks were more or less pirates if occasion offered: the whole country was demoralised.
One day, lying at anchor in theHong-Kong, we saw on the other side of the river, two or three miles away, a piratical junk chasing two others laden with salt. In less than no time Keppel ordered me to man a cutter of twelve men and go after him. The pirate did not show fight when I got near. He ran his craft on to a mud bank; the whole crew bolted up through a paddy field, and sat down, unconcerned, on a low hill, watching me trying to set fire to the junk. We had pot shots at them; but I could not get the junk to catch fire. To climb on board was impossible (the mud was soft, and had we tried we should have gone over our necks: the tide was falling fast):so the only thing I could do was to smash in the side under water with axes. We set him on fire next day.
On another occasion theHong-Kongwas despatched up one of the many rivers that run into the Canton main stream, in search of piratical junks and “fast boats,” which were supposed to be marauding some little distance inland. Boats of theEskalso were sent to cut them off up another creek, in case of our missing them. Fast boats were beautiful models, generally propelled by six-and-twenty oars, and armed with jingalls on swivels: they could command all-round fire.
We started early, but saw nothing until about two o’clock in the afternoon, when we discovered three of the fast boats, which, I imagine, had caught sight of our funnel. As we rounded a bend in the river we saw them pulling for all they were worth to escape from us. Going at full speed, we gained somewhat, and got nicely within long-gun range; but unfortunately took the ground, the tide being low, and stuck in the soft mud. Nothing daunted, Goodenough manned and armed the only two small boats we had; taking command of one himself, and giving me charge of the other. Our boats held ten men, besides us two officers. His boat was a wretched 4-oared gig; mine a “sandpan” (shaped like a canoe), which we hadbagged from a junk on some previous occasion; it was propelled by six paddles, and I was steering with a paddle. I could beat the 4-oar, if only I could keep my boat’s head straight; but herein a difficulty lay, for I was firing my muzzle-loading Minié rifle as hard as I could all the while when within range. I fancy the fast boats’ crews were hesitating as to whether they would await our approach and show fight, because, to our delight, we found ourselves gaining a trifle: perhaps they were getting a bit done up after theHong-Kongchase. Be that as it may, we gradually wore them down; and, when within 300 yards or so, they suddenly put their boats’ noses to the bank, forsook their crafts, and bolted into the paddy fields.
We had had enough of it, having pulled a long distance; and we sate ourselves down when we came up with our capture, got into shade, and filled our pipes, hoping that theHong-Kongwould rejoin us shortly.
A little distance away on our right front was a small wood. To our astonishment, soon we saw the mast and sail of a huge junk coming slowly along, opening out to view after passing the trees. She was sailing down another creek, which ran into ours about 500 yards farther on.
“Man the boats!” shouted Goodenough. When she showed her hull round the cornerGoodenough said to me, “Montagu, do you think we can take her?”
I hesitated to answer. I thought it would be hopelessly mad to make the attempt. If two or three were wounded in either boat, we should be done.
Seeing that I made no answer, he said, “Well, what do you say?”
I answered: “Sir, if you lose a man or two, or I do before we board her, we shall be utterly helpless; but I am game, sir, whichever you decide.”
This sufficed for Goodenough, as plucky a man as ever breathed. He said, quickly, “Oh yes: we will try.”
“Oh,” said I to myself, trying to look and feel as bold as a lion, “it’s UP this time.”
But, once we were off, somehow the excitement and the steering and the firing of the Minié rifle kept the devil out of one’s mind. The wretched junk—filled with men, crowds on her deck (into which I was potting as fast as I could load and fire)—kept the even tenor of her way, though she soon began to fire round shot and jingalls at us. They fell pretty thick, though most went over our heads.
She was not sailing fast. At first, consequently, we gained on her, as there was little breeze. On we went pulling, Goodenough and I firing untilwe got about 350 yards from her—and were still gaining. Bullets struck our boats; but not a man was touched. Luckily, the big shot missed us every time. How I watched the muzzle of his two 32-pounders! What difficulty I had to keep my boat straight! The least mistake in steering, and she was off at right angles.
This went on for a quarter of an hour or more; the junk still sailing slowly away, we pulling our hearts out, when the breeze freshened suddenly, in a sort of puff on the water. The junk began to heel, and soon she showed a bow wave. Then we knew we were done; and perhaps it was well, for nothing could persuade me that ten men and two officers could take a junk with sixty men on board if they showed the semblance of a fight—for the simple reason that nobody could have fired from our boats, and in a running fight we should have been shot in the back as we were pulling alongside.
The only chance of our capturing her was that the beggars might jump overboard from funk. I for one—and I am not ashamed to own it—was heartily glad we got no nearer. I suppose, however, that I should have acted as Goodenough acted had I been in his position.
This same junk was captured next day by theEsk’sboom-boat, armed with brass guns and a force of at least fifty men. They lost twelve killedand wounded. How we should have fared without a gun, without a rocket, and with nothing but two Minié rifles firing at intervals, I don’t know.
We dropped a few poor beggars: it was not easy to miss when firing into a crowd at 350 yards. I do not think I got more than a dozen rounds into them: steering with a paddle and loading a muzzle loader is not an easy combination of duties.
The only thing which this running fight showed us was that the John Chinaman of 1857 was made of ghastly stuff. He simply bolted.
After lying on our oars, we turned back to pick up our “fast boats,” two of which, to our dismay, had got clean off; we found the third—a beautiful boat; but how she stank! We took her in tow, and went down to meet theHong-Kong, now approaching us with the rising tide; and rattling good cheer they gave us on our return, as they could see from the paddle-boxes a bit of what had gone on, by looking over the land; and much distressed they were that they had been unable to help us.
We had other goes at the pirates; but on no occasion was there much show of fight. The work was harassing, and the constant expeditions were tedious, the heat being very severe.
I now come to the month of July 1856, whenI was lucky enough to get the opportunity of seeing further active service, though in a different part of the world.
The operations upon the Canton River had now come to an end. The enemy’s fleet of junks was destroyed, and the fortified posts had been demolished. Certainly the town of Canton had to be taken; but that business required troops, and troops were not yet available. Amid these circumstances, the Commodore thought it advisable to ask the Admiral to appoint us mids to one of the ships of the squadron now forming for a cruise up the north coast of China. This was done; and after a few days’ leave at Hong-Kong, where I was kindly put up by one of the great merchants, Mr. Dent by name, Scott, myself, and Stephenson were appointed to thePearl, a 21-gun corvette commanded by Captain Sotheby.
During my few days ashore at Hong-Kong I had a capital time of it: complete rest in a charming bungalow, with a lovely garden attached: we lived on the fat of the land. I recollect having a regular Chinese dinner with Colonel ——. It was entirely of Chinese dishes, and we fed ourselves with chop-sticks. One dish consisted of bird’s-nest soup. I was told that abonâ fidebird’s nest of some sort had been cooked, the interior producing a most choice glutinous substance resembling thick stock. A mid is not supposed to have muchconscience: therefore, he is not very particular about his digestion: I found this “plat” very tasty.
I was well into my breakfast one morning at Dent’s house when I received an order to join thePearlin the evening. She was to start next day: not on the expedition up the northern coast, but post-haste to Calcutta! She was taking in coal, and we were to pick up some troops at Singapore for conveyance to India.